Fifth Sense
by Telpei
Summary: Duo's lost his sight, but he acquires a new sense. One that could possibly create the perfect soldier. will the others understand? or will they think he's crazy...
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Not mine!  
  
AN: Yes! Chapter one has been rewritten. I fixed a few typos and reworded some sentences...I've felt some inspiration for this fic again...maybe I'll get some serious work done on it within the next week.  
  
Date: 23 Nov. 2003  
  
Chapter One  
  
Warning signals blared throughout the compound, red lights flashing. Soldiers were running everywhere, and everything was going wrong.  
  
For Oz at least.  
  
Quatre Winner and Duo Maxwell were doing just fine.  
  
Running down one hallway they came to a door. The positioned themselves on either side. Duo pulled a small device out of the duffel bag strapped across his back and quickly hooked it up to the locked door. After a few tense moments, there was a successful grunt on Duo's part as red lights blinked green and the door slid open.  
  
Duo grinned. "After you Q-man."  
  
Quatre smiled back politely, then set his expression in a firm line, raised his gun, and entered the room.  
  
He swept the space with his eyes and upon detecting no one, he called back to Duo. "All clear."  
  
Duo entered the room, shutting the door behind them. It had clearly been the main control area of the compound. Quatre was already typing away at the main computer. Luckily for them, their previous work with explosives had effectively evacuated the building.  
  
Just then, Duo heard a sound from the other side of the room. "Did you hear that?" he asked.  
  
"Hear what?" The blond replied, attention focused on the screen.  
  
The braided pilot heard it again, louder this time.  
  
"That." Duo said.  
  
"I heard it that time. You can go check it out if you want. Watch yourself." Quatre suggested.  
  
Duo nodded. "Kay," he agreed, heading over to the other side of the room. Gun held tightly between his hands, he proceeded slowly. Finally he came to another door. A flick of a switch had the door sliding open mechanically, and Duo raised an eyebrow curiously. There was man lying at the bottom of the closet that Duo had revealed.  
  
"What is it?" Quatre asked, still typing away.  
  
Duo bent down to examine the half unconscious person he'd found. "A soldier." He replied to the blonde's question. "He's hurt pretty bad"  
  
The soldier gave another moan once Duo had reached his eye level, and his eyes widened as he recognized the `god of death'.  
  
The man struggled to sit up, and reached behind him for his gun. He groped around for a minute, Duo watching his every move.  
  
"I would recommend you didn't do that." The braided boy suggested.  
  
"I'll do whatever I want." The soldier replied curtly, lips curling in a snarl. "You damn Gundam pilots are always getting in the way. I'd be a hero if I could get rid of one of you". His hand landed on a small tube of sorts...he grinned psychotically, and wrapped his fingers around the cylinder. "You're going to pay for coming in here." He said, as he whipped his hand out from behind him and jabbed Duo's arm with something sharp...  
  
Duo toppled backwards to the ground forcefully, his head hitting the floor with an ear splitting crack. It took him a moment to regain his senses, but he was just in time to see the man reach for his gun. Duo pulled his own trigger, aiming with deadly accuracy.  
  
Quatre was at his side within the next few seconds. "Duo...C'mon, we've got to get out of here."  
  
Duo moaned and sat up slowly. What the hell had just happened? He'd been on a mission with Quatre...  
  
But Duo didn't have time to think. The small blond pulled him to his feet and led him out of the room quickly, heading for their carefully hidden gundams. Neither of them noticed the small syringe that lay forgotten of the floor.  
  
*~*  
  
Upon returning to the safe house where the five pilots were staying, the two entered the house to find Heero out on a mission. Trowa and WuFei, however, were in the kitchen.  
  
"Duo, let me look at your eyes." Quatre pleaded worriedly as they entered the kitchen.  
  
Duo shook his head. "No way, Q-man. I swear they're fine."  
  
Quatre sighed. "You just said that everything was `kinda blurry' and you were feeling dizzy on the way back, remember? You almost hit that tree."  
  
Duo grinned. "Good thing I didn't. Deathscythe woulda had a fit. He doesn't like it when I hit trees."  
  
Quatre shook his head. "Duo, there's something wrong. Sure you killed that Oz soldier, but what was he doing in the supply cabinet? And you fell, remember? I'm surprised that blow to your head didn't do some brain damage."  
  
WuFei scoffed. "That baka doesn't have a brain."  
  
"Do too." Duo replied, sticking his tongue out at the other pilot. "I just need to get some sleep." With that, Duo headed up for his room. Maybe he had imagined the whole thing...  
  
*~*  
  
However, when Duo woke up in the morning, he couldn't see what would happen. In fact, he couldn't see at all.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Not mine : (  
  
AN-Yes! Chapter two rewritten as well. Again, fixed typos and reworded sentences. No major plot changes.  
  
Date: 23 Nov. 2003  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Duo woke slowly, as he did every morning. He felt himself waking up, but kept his eyes firmly shut, hoping to catch a few more, ahem, hours of sleep. However, all thoughts of sleep left his mind as the smell of food soon reached his nostrils.  
  
"Food!" he cried, opening his eyes.  
  
No difference.  
  
Everything was pitch black.  
  
Duo blinked a couple of times. He couldn't believe this was happening. His sight was what made everything on earth and on the colonies so beautiful...the green leaves of the trees, the sparkling blue waters of the ocean, fire burning brightly...It couldn't just be gone!  
  
Well...after a moment of thought he supposed it could. After all, things had been overly blurry yesterday. He nibbled his bottom lip worriedly, running a hand through his sleep tangled hair. He gave a frustrated sigh as he swung his legs over the side of the bed, blinking a few more times to try to fix whatever was wrong with his eyes. "Focus, Maxwell!" he growled angrily. "This can't be happening! I can't pilot without sight!"  
  
As he stood, a wave of hopelessness washed over him. "This has got to be temporary." He stated loudly to himself, nodding as he set his lips in a firm line. Duo Maxwell was a believer...and he wasn't about to let temporary blindness run him down. After all...it was temporary.  
  
He felt his way over to his cabinet, where he kept his clothes. His hands searched for his usual outfit, and he determinedly headed for the bathroom which was across the hall. "Everything will be fine when I get out of the shower." He told himself, nodding once again.  
  
However, when Duo emerged from his shower, he still couldn't see anything. Everything was a blackness that was beginning to engulf him. Duo stood in the middle of the hall, fumbling with his soggy chestnut locks, trying to braid them into the usual `do'. Succeeding at last (albeit rather messily), Duo grabbed the railing and started his slow descent down the stairs.  
  
When he reached the bottom, he felt his way over to the kitchen, still seeing nothing. Using his nose, he sensed the smell of pancakes...  
  
"Mmmm..." Duo muttered as he entered the room. He paused at the doorway. His memory wasn't that great, but he did know that the table where he had to go was on the other side of the room, and there were many obstacles in the way. He thought despairingly. And from the sounds of it, all four pilots were in the kitchen. Apparently Heero had returned from his mission during the night.  
  
"Morning Duo." Quatre said from the stove, or what Duo thought was the direction of the stove. "Did you sleep well?"  
  
Duo hesitated. He would have to tell his friends eventually that he couldn't see anything, and he wasn't sure how they were going to take it. He grumbled to himself. Without his sight, Duo would have to abandon Deathscythe. No question about it. He was gonna have to give up his buddy. Even Heero wouldn't be capable of piloting a Gundam without being able to see anything.  
  
With this thought in mind, Duo headed over to the table, with a slight "sorta" directed to Quatre. He stubbed his toe on a stool and cursed loudly, gaining a sigh from WuFei, or what he thought was WuFei.  
  
"You should watch where you're going Maxwell." Yeah, it was definitely Wu- man.  
  
Judging by the direction of his voice, Duo figured that the table was a little more to the left. Changing the degree of his course slightly, Duo headed for the table. He bumped into something else, and not knowing what it was, he simply turned and headed more to the right.  
  
"Hn."  
  
Duo cursed to himself. That thing he'd bumped into had been a certain stoic soldier. "Sorry Heero." He mumbled, bumping into the edge of the table. Finding an empty chair, he sat down, feeling mildly pleased with himself. He'd made it so far...  
  
"Maxwell..." WuFei's voice again. "Is it in style to wear your shirt inside out, or were you just too much of a baka to put it on properly this morning?"  
  
Duo froze.  
  
"Is there something you aren't telling us Duo?" It was Quatre's voice, and he sounded concerned.  
  
Duo sighed, defeated. "I can't see anything." He muttered. "Heero, you might as well just shoot me now. Try not to miss, I don't want it to hurt too bad."  
  
"Hn." Duo heard the safety being pulled, and he braced himself for the impact.  
  
However, a startled squawk from Quatre had the braided pilot confused. "What do you think you are doing Heero? You know he can't see you..."  
  
Duo's jaw dropped. "What do you mean, Q?"  
  
Quatre smiled, a brightness which Duo couldn't detect, and replied, "He's not pointing his gun at you Duo, he pulled the safety as a, um, joke...I guess"  
  
Duo shook his head, sighing softly. "Right Quatre. Now you're the one who's lost it."  
  
Duo heard a rustling beside him, indicating the presence of a person. "Why would I shoot you, Duo?" It was Heero.  
  
"Because I know everything about you guys, and if I can't see anything, I can't pilot Deathscythe so I can't help you, and I'll just get in the way and if Oz captures me, they can use me against you." Duo took a breath, and waited again for the sound of Heero's gun.  
  
Instead, Heero chuckled slightly. Duo's unseeing eyes widened in surprise.  
  
"There's still a chance that you're going to get your sight back." Heero stated logically, accepting a plate of pancakes from Quatre and placing it in front of Duo.  
  
Duo shook his head. "I don't know..."  
  
"There's always hope." That was Quatre.  
  
"Shoulda shot him Yuy." WuFei.  
  
"WuFei!" Quatre again.  
  
Duo put his hands over his ears. Everything had suddenly gone up in volume. And the smell of the pancakes was becoming overwhelming...Duo shook his head, trying to rid himself of the oversensitive senses. Quatre and WuFei were still arguing. Apparently the argument had caused Quatre to forget about the pancakes, and one started to burn. More obscenities from WuFei, and the usually calm Quatre was cursing in his Arabian tongue. Smell, Noise, Noise, Smell...Then the fire alarm went off.  
  
This was apparently too much for Duo, and with a cry, he pushed his chair back, knocking it to the ground with a defining crash. He spun around and forced his way out of the kitchen, feeling Heero beside him, guiding him.  
  
When Duo reached the living room, he felt his way over to the couch, and plopped down on it, elbows on his knees and head in his hands. His eyes were stinging with unshed tears, but he kept them firmly closed. He would not cry. He was strong. Hell, he'd survived a plague and half of a war...temporary blindness would not bring him down.  
  
And it WAS temporary.  
  
Heero sat down beside him. Duo could practically feel the waves of calmness radiating off the other pilot.  
  
"Duo..."  
  
Heero's tone was neither cold, nor menacing, nor threatening. It was comforting, in a way.  
  
"What?" Duo flinched inwardly at the iciness of his voice, but it seemed he had no control over that at this moment. He was too high strung, too tense. It seemed he didn't have control over *anything* for that matter...  
  
"What happened in there?"  
  
Duo hesitated. He didn't want Heero to think he was crazy. Heck no. Duo didn't want to die. But then again, Heero hadn't killed Relena...  
  
"Everything got really loud." He finally stated, his voice uncertain. He pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes, trying to block out the blackness...it wasn't working very well, but at least it seemed to help holding back the tears.  
  
"Your senses are probably adjusting to the loss of your sight. They'll probably return to normal when you regain your vision." Heero's logic cut through Duo's thoughts...and the braided pilot found it oddly...comforting. The Japanese youth was keeping him grounded, making him think things through. This was not the end of the world. He himself had jumped to conclusions, expecting the worst...but Heero, as Heero always did, had things figured out and was looking at it in a logical sense.  
  
Surprisingly, this seemed to help.  
  
A lot.  
  
But there was still a flicker of doubt in the back of Duo's mind...and against his better judgment, he voiced it softly:  
  
"And what happens if I don't get it back?"  
  
"You will. You haven't done anything to your eyes to lose it, have you?"  
  
"No..." Duo thought about this concept for a minute. Why had he lost this essential sense in the first place? "I didn't, but...I think somebody else did..."  
  
After a moment's pause in which Duo thought back to the events of the day before, he proceeded to tell Heero of the stab in his arm he had felt while dealing with the soldier in the storage cabinet.  
  
"Probably a shot." Heero concluded. "Where was the prick?"  
  
Duo rolled up his sleeve. Heero took Duo's hand in his and pulled the pale, thin arm onto his lap, running his fingers over the scarred skin. Upon examination, he found a small red mark that looked suspiciously like the mark a medical syringe would leave behind. He grunted softly, eyes narrowing slightly in thought. "Hn..."  
  
"This changes things." Quatre's voice.  
  
"How so?" Duo asked uncertainly.  
  
"Well, they might have done something to your blood to have caused this lack of sight." Quatre's voice got closer as he was talking.  
  
"Hm..."  
  
"How are you feeling Duo? I'm sorry if we were too loud..." Concern could be heard once again in the blonde's voice.  
  
"Ah, don't worry about it Q-man. No harm done. Though I am little dizzy to tell you the truth." Duo replied with his trademark grin. Inside, however, he was in a turmoil of confusion. So then his blood was being messed with...this could be serious. And why the hell was Heero still brushing his fingers over his arm? "Stop it, man." He muttered softly with a playful grin. "It tickles." He said, gently pulling his arm out of Heero's grasp. Heero grunted softly, and Duo could picture the short haired brunette rolling his eyes.  
  
"You should go lie down. I'll get you something to drink." Quatre offered quietly. Duo nodded in agreement, and with Heero's help, headed up to his room. When he got there, he paused in the doorway, catching the Japanese pilot's arm as Heero turned to leave him. "Hey man...thanks." he muttered softly before releasing the arm.  
  
Heero raised an eyebrow even though he knew Duo wouldn't be able to see it.  
  
"For what?" He grunted, his voice back to its usual monotone. It wasn't particularly cold, but it certainly wasn't the comforting tone he'd used earlier.  
  
"For bringing me back to reality. I was bein' kinda pessimistic for a while there." Duo replied, forcing out another grin. He was about to continue when Quatre interrupted them, coughing slightly to alert Duo of his presence.  
  
"I brought you some pancakes and water." He offered. Duo could picture his gentle smile.  
  
"Thanks Q-man, but I think I'm just gonna sleep on this for now. The water would be appreciated though."  
  
"Oh, ok..."  
  
Duo grinned again, accepting the water that was placed into his hand as he finally let go of Heero's arm, hearing pilot 01 head towards the stairs. Quatre helped Duo into his room, leading him over to the bed. "Get some rest, Duo. I'll wake you up later for lunch...I don't want you to go for too long without eating."  
  
Duo grinned as he sat down on the edge of the bed, sipping at his water before he felt around to place it on the bedside table. "Thanks, Q." He  
  
Quatre gave Duo a quick hug before he got to his feet and headed for the door. "I'm sure things are going to work out, Duo...don't worry too much about it, ok?"  
  
Duo nodded, offering the blonde another toothy grin. "I know, Q...We've got nothing to be afraid of. OZ couldn't make a proper 'blinding' solution if they tried, anyhow. It'll wear off eventually."  
  
Quatre gave a soft laugh at the braided boy's sense of humor as he stepped into the hall. "Just get some sleep, Duo." He said kindly before he shut the door softly behind him and headed back down to the kitchen.  
  
Duo sank back onto the bed, groaning softly as he let his mask slip. His lips slanted downwards in a slight frown as he ran his fingers through his drying bangs. "Damnit...I only hope that I'm right." He said softly, willing himself to just sleep. He would think about things when he woke up...and as soon as he got his sight back, OZ was going to get some serious ass kicking.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own it, so don't sue.  
  
AN: I'm on a role or something...here's another edited chapter. Same deal, no plot changes...though I have added something between Heero and Duo...I might form a slight romance, just to help Duo to deal with the whole scenario...  
  
Date: 23 Nov. 2003  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Duo groaned softly as he neared consciousness, feeling himself being pulled out of his comfortable state.  
  
"Are you awake, Duo?"  
  
"No." Duo's mind was vaguely aware that it was Quatre speaking. Keeping his eyes firmly shut, he wondered vaguely why he felt so safe...but he figured he must be in the safe house still. His dream...yeah, it must have been a dream...had taken place somewhere not quite as friendly. Sighing, he sat up, keeping his eyes firmly closed. "Why are you and Heero in my room, Q?" he asked groggily.  
  
Heero raised one eyebrow. "How did you know I was here?"  
  
Duo shrugged. "Dunno. However, I *do* know that I'm hungry. Got any food, Q- man?"  
  
Quatre smiled. "I'll go make some soup."  
  
Duo grinned and listened as the small blond left the room. He then turned to the general direction of Heero's voice. "So, why *are* you in my room?"  
  
Heero uncharacteristically hesitated before answering. "We got a mission."  
  
Duo's grin faded and his shoulder sagged. With a tired hand, he brushed his bangs out of his face, only to have them fall back into place a second later. "Who all is going?"  
  
Another hesitation. Duo raised an eyebrow. It wasn't like Heero to try to tell someone bad news slowly. He was usually more blunt. "All of us."  
  
Ah...that was more like it. Duo's jaw dropped. "All of you?! But what About me?"  
  
Heero sighed softly. "I've spoken with J and the other scientists. You are to stay here. They're looking for a cure of some sort. I sent in a blood sample."  
  
Duo raised one eyebrow. "My blood?"  
  
"You were asleep, and it didn't wake you up."  
  
"oh."  
  
A few moments of awkward silence passed, then a small yelp was heard from downstairs. Duo grinned slightly, shaking his head. "That'll be Q burning himself on the soup...maybe it'll be bad and he'll have to stay here with me." He joked, pushing the covers aside. He grinned as he heard Heero usher another sigh.  
  
Duo clambered out of bed and felt his way towards the door. "Coming, Hee- chan?"  
  
Heero gave a soft grunt, and Duo grinned, picturing the brunette's icy glare at the use of the nickname. "Baka." Heero muttered, leading the way down the hall.  
  
Duo followed close behind, always keeping a hand on the wall or the railing and making very slow progress. Being dependent on others was starting to get damn frustrating...  
  
As they neared the kitchen, the smell of chicken noodle soup reached Duo's nostrils. He breathed in the comforting scent, and let Heero lead him to the table.  
  
He sat down in an offered chair and plastered a grin on his face. "Smells great, Q-man."  
  
"Thanks"  
  
"So, when are you guys leaving?" Duo felt around for his spoon, and upon contact his grin widened. Dipping it into the soup, he carefully brought the utensil to his mouth.  
  
"This evening." WuFei's voice. Apparently the Chinese pilot was in the kitchen as well. Surprisingly, Duo had already known this somehow...  
  
"Where are you going?" Duo sipped his soup cautiously, testing the temperature. "Mmm...perfect Quatre."  
  
"We're going to outer space."  
  
Duo nearly dropped his spoon. "Nani?! When are you coming back?"  
  
"We're not sure. Probably in a month, at the latest." Heero's monotone.  
  
Duo set his mouth in a firm line and pushed back his chair, soup and hunger temporarily forgotten. "I can't stay here by myself. I'm coming too."  
  
"You know you can't, Duo." Quatre's worried voice.  
  
"It would be suicide. You can't pilot a Gundam without your sight." WuFei...and he sounded smug. Duo frowned.  
  
"So I'll install the zero system. I'm not staying here alone. Hold up a sec...who's that?"  
  
Dead silence, occupied with three sets of raised eyebrows.  
  
Duo's eyes snapped open. "Howard? Shit, no. You guys did NOT call him in here to babysit me! Tell me you didn't!"  
  
Quatre swallowed nervously. "Uh..."  
  
Heero however, frowned in thought. How had Duo guessed that? There was no way that he could have heard them talking about it earlier...he'd been sleeping. So then how-  
  
Heero's thoughts were suddenly cut off.  
  
There was a knock on the door.  
  
The Japanese pilot reached for his gun on his way to the main entrance and after confirming the identity of the visitor, he let the man in.  
  
"Howdy, Heero."  
  
"Howard. Glad you could make it."  
  
"No prob. I hear Duo's experiencin' technical difficulties."  
  
"Very funny, Howard," came Duo's voice from the kitchen.  
  
Heero and Howard headed back to the others, the smell of the soup Duo's forgotten soup wafting through the air.  
  
"I will not stay here to be babysat." Duo stated again, crossing his arms over his chest. "No friggin' way."  
  
"You can't come Duo. It's too complicated. We have to steal a shuttle without OZ figuring out that we want to get back into space." Quatre explained worriedly.  
  
"I don't care. I'm not staying here, I have to help."  
  
"Coming won't help Duo." Heero cut in. "You're only going to endanger the mission."  
  
Duo growled softly, mouth set in a firm scowl. "Right then. The *mission* comes first. I'll stay here like a good little boy. The perfect soldier has spoken, eh Heero?" He spat out, getting to his feet angrily. "Fine. Just...fine." Teeth clenched and practically fuming, Duo turned and stalked out of the kitchen, thundered up the stairs, and stormed into his room.  
  
Downstairs, Quatre sighed softly. "Well...that didn't go very well."  
  
Heero grunted. "He'll get over it." He said stonily...but his thoughts were swirling. Duo had made his way across the kitchen and up the stairs without so much as a pause or a stumble. Something he certainly shouldn't have been able to accomplish...  
  
*~*  
  
Up in his room, Duo flopped back on to the bed, fists clenching and unclenching angrily. Of all the nerve. Sure he was bl- *Temporarily* blind...but he was still a freaking Gundam Pilot. And Gundam Pilots did not need babysitters. "Fuck them." He cursed softly, sitting up and glaring into blackness.  
  
Then he realized something.  
  
He'd crossed the kitchen. He'd brushed around Howard in the doorway. He'd made his way up the stairs...and he hadn't hesitated once. His feet had been sure of themselves. It was almost as if he had been able to see again...  
  
"But..." sitting up, Duo realized he knew exactly where everything was. He could even feel the others moving around in the kitchen below. Standing, Duo headed over to the dresser. He pulled out the traditional minister's uniform, and, discarding his t-shirt, he slipped it on. He then headed back downstairs.  
  
Stopping at in the doorway of the kitchen, he glared and stood silently, listening as the other pilot's conversation slowly came to a halt as they all turned to look at him. He could 'see' the oranges on the counter, 'feel' the crumbs beneath the toaster, 'sense' the five other people in the room...Duo could smell and feel the heat coming from the element on the stove. He mused to himself with a slight smirk. A quick check with his mind confirmed his suspicions. He could feel that the element was switched to `on'.  
  
Feeling all eyes on him, Duo walked over to the stove and flicked off the element. Keeping his back to the group of people in the room, he sighed. "You should be more careful Q-man."  
  
"How-"  
  
"I don't know." Duo cut off WuFei. "I can feel where things are, but I can't see where anything is. There's no colour, everything's black, but I can see in every direction, and as far as I want to."  
  
"Huh?" Quatre's confused grunt.  
  
Duo sighed. "It's hard to explain..." He thought for a minute, wondering how he could get his theory across. If only they could experience it themselves... that was when the idea hit him (As stupid as it was, he was willing to try anything). ... "Ok, close your eyes..." He waited for a minute. "I'm serious guys, just close them...You too Wufei...ok, now, you can't see anything right? Well, now imagine that you can feel where everything is. You can't explain it, you just know. The exact location of the chairs and table...Howard, why the hell have you got your sunglasses on inside the house anyway?"  
  
Duo then paused, waiting for a reaction. Finally, Howard started laughing, and Quatre soon joined in. At first he thought it was because of the sunglasses comment...but a flicker of doubt crossed his mind. Did they believe him? Heero was scowling...but that wasn't unusual.  
  
"Good one Maxwell, but you still can't come."  
  
Duo's jaw dropped. So they didn't believe him after all. "You don't believe me?"  
  
"You expected us to?" WuFei scoffed. "You really have lost it. I don't know how you knew the element was still on...but the fact still remains that you can't see anything. You can't pilot Deathscythe, Duo...You'll just put everyone in danger."  
  
Duo shoulders slumped. "I can't believe this..." That got Howard laughing again, and the older man clapped a hand down on Duo's shoulder.  
  
"Aw, c'mon, man! It ain't that they want to leave ya behind...it's just how things gotta be this time around" he said, trying to be comforting...But Duo didn't want comfort. Not Howard's comfort. How could Howard possibly understand what he, the Grim Reaper himself, was going through?  
  
He mused to himself, letting his shoulders sag as he shrugged off Howard's hand. "Whatever, man." He muttered softly.  
  
A very disappointed Duo turned slowly and headed back up to his room. If he had been able to see, tears would have been clouding his vision...but instead they just stung the corners of his eyes and rolled down his cheeks. He couldn't believe that they didn't believe him. It wasn't supposed to work that way...They all thought that he was making this up so that he could go with them, like a child might beg to go on a business trip with his parents...  
  
Duo snorted softly to himself as he closed the door behind him. "So they think I'm a little kid who needs babysitting, eh? Well, I'm just going to have to show them what Death can really do..."  
  
He headed over to the window, a smirk firmly set in place to cover his real distress. He opened it, muscles barely straining at the effort. Breathing in the fresh air, Duo leaned on the window sill. He decided that he'd wait until later that night, after the others had left. And then, and then he'd put his freshly forming plan into action...  
  
Right now, however, he was painfully aware of the fact that Heero had followed him up the stairs and was right now standing outside his room. What would he say to the Japanese pilot? 'Hey Heero, I'm not lying I'm just a freak? Let me come on the mission with you anyway?' Duo gave a harsh laugh, smirk faltering slightly.  
  
Heero suddenly stiffened, turned, and headed back downstairs. Yes, his hand had been resting on the doorknob, and yes he had been about to confront his friend. But that hollow laugh...it scared him. He didn't want to deal with Duo when the braided teen's façade was down. He didn't want to get to know the boy behind the happy-go-lucky mask. That was a little too intimate for the emotionless Heero Yuy. No...it wouldn't do to get close to 02...it wouldn't do at all...  
  
*~*  
  
That night, as the four other pilots were discussing their mission plans, they failed to detect the dark presence at the top of the stairs listening to their every word. Oh yes...Duo was not going to let himself get left behind. There was no way that he would hinder the mission because they wouldn't believe that he could see. Besides, from the sounds of their conversation downstairs, the scientists were depending on his skills. Without Deathscythe, the other four would be in serious trouble.  
  
His mind made up, Duo memorized every detail to the mission, working the numbers and coordinates into the recesses of his brain. It was obvious that they were going to need his help...and Death was always there when you least expected it.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	4. Chapter 4

I don't own it so don't sue!   
  
Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I really appreciate it! Have a rose, but don't prick yourself… @--&---- *ouch* oops…oh well, on with the fic, even though I'm injured….  
  
Chapter 4  
  
A black shadow flitted into the hangar. The house, standing approximately fifty feet away was missing a person, and Howard was about to realize that.  
Duo grimaced. He slipped into the hangar soundlessly.   
"DUO!!!"   
Duo jumped into deathscythe and flicked a few switches on the control panel. He hadn't needed to turn on the light of the hangar. Appearances and colour made no difference to him anymore. He felt a little guilty for leaving Howard like this, but he had to help the other pilots, and he had to show them that he wasn't lying. Duo Maxwell didn't lie.   
Deathscythe's engines roared to life, Attracting Howard's attention from inside of the house. Now he knew where the escaped pilot was.   
"Damnit. How could I let that happen? Hm…maybe he can see again. But seems to me he would have said something…"  
Duo on the other hand was flying off towards the Oz base where his friends had gone. The screen of Deathscythe was flashing colours to notify him of the other gundam's position [easily 90 degrees north of where Deathscythe was heading], but Duo couldn't depend on tracking devices anymore. He was going to have to train his mind to be able to see farther. If he missed the shuttle, he'd have to get another one somewhere. Maybe Zechs had one he wasn't using…  
Duo smirked. Zechs always had an extra shuttle. And having enemies and a backup shuttle is a very bad idea.   
Upon reaching the base, Duo found the other gundams already gone.   
"Just as well. They wouldn't have let me come any further. I probably could have shown Wufei a thing or two about thermal energy though…"  
Deathscythe took off once again, but this time Duo headed for the Peacecraft estate, where Zechs, or Milliardo, kept his spare shuttle.   
  
*~*  
  
"Beep Beep Beep"  
Heero's eyes opened slightly and he glanced at his screen. "What the hell?" He sat up a little straighter. On the screen of his gundam he could see a civilian shuttle heading straight for him, and it was going at the proper speed to be carrying something the weight of a gundam.   
Pushing the communications button, Heero tried to contact the shuttle. No response. Wing Zero was on auto pilot, in bird mode, flying slightly ahead of two other shuttles. One contained Sandrock, and the other contained Heavyarms and Nataku.   
"Quatre, come in Quatre."  
"I'm listening Heero. You see that shuttle too?"  
"Yeah. Contact the others, I'm going to try to find out what it's cargo is."  
"Copy that. Over and out."  
Heero ended the transmission, and did a check on the shuttle. It was not a planned course. The shuttle was not scheduled to be here now. "Wait a sec…"  
The shuttle had a number, as all shuttles do. And Heero knew a few off by heart, in case of emergencies. This number he knew all to well. The shuttle belonged to Milliardo Peacecraft.   
"It's an Oz shuttle Quatre. Be on your guard. Nothing Wing Zero can't handle, but you never know. They might have a trick up their sleeve."   
"Alright Heero. We're right behind you."  
The shuttle caught up with the four pilots, and adjusted its speed to match theirs, flying along beside them.   
"Gotta be a couple of mobile suits" Heero mused "for the speed it was travelling at…" the four waited, tense and cautious, expecting the worst.   
However, none of them were expecting Deathscythe to emerge.   
"Duo?!?" Heero said, astounded that his friend could be out here, in outer space, in Milliardo Peacecraft's shuttle, when he couldn't even see. His first reaction was that Duo could be working for Oz. He pulled the lever that brought Wing Zero out of bird mode, and took up the fighting stance.   
"Don't recognize me or something Heero?" Duo asked over the radio. Heero noticed that he wasn't using a video transmission. "Or you think it's too good to be true?"  
"Hn." Came Heero's response. "What are you doing here Duo."  
"Came to help. I wouldn't stay behind. And if one of you aren't chicken, I'll prove that I can see just fine." Duo had decided to give up trying to explain that he couldn't see, but sense things. The others obviously wouldn't believe him.   
"I'm not going to fight you Duo." Heero said.   
"I didn't expect you to. Wufei however, is much easier to egg on." Duo flicked another switch and opened communications with the heavier of the two shuttles. "You in there Wufei? Lemme show you just how well I can see. Unless of course you think you won't win or if you're scared…"  
"Maxwell, you're on. I am not weak."  
"Great. Just as I expected." Duo grinned and ended that transmission.   
"Duo, you're going to get yourself hurt." Heero said.   
"Ooo, is Heero worried about me? Anyway, how could I have stolen the shuttle without anyone noticing if I couldn't see anything." Duo smiled to himself. A few warning beeps from his gundam told him Wufei was approaching. Flicking a few switches, the green scythe flashed menacingly. Duo could feel it's power as he held it in Deathscythe's grasp and got ready for Wufei's attack. He knew the other pilot was approaching from the right. The massive gundam's movement was just too hard to miss.   
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
well, please let me know what you think! Was this chapter any good? I'm almost done, I think there's one more chapter. I'm not planning on making this any longer. Ok, I also wrote a really funny fic about tribal names for the gundam pilots. [if you have no idea what I'm talking about, an example would be "Heero No Talk" and it would suggest that Heero doesn't talk very much.] so go check it out! Hehehe…anyway, leave a review!  
  
Aria 


	5. Chapter 5

Well, I've decided that people like it when duo is tortured. For the sole reason that I've received so many reviews! Thank you everyone for letting me know what you think! I will have you know however that I do ignore death threats, and I try not to take them seriously. Heh...anyway, on with the fic.  
  
To CSMars, I know Duo's acting a little bit out of character, but isn't that to be expected? he lost his sight, and then Wufei thought he was lying. It seems to me that Duo would be a little upset by all this, and he probably would feel that he needs to prove himself. Plus, it's not like he's going to kill poor poor Wufei or anything. He's just going to "teach him a thing or two about thermal energy". Heh...this could get interesting...  
  
Disclaimer-i don't own it so don't sue. I don't see why we have to write these things. Nobody on here owns gundam wing! This is dumb! Ok, enough ranting. On with the fic.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Wufei threw his gundam in Deathscythe's direction with a cry, weapons ready. His eyes widened in slight surprise as Duo warded off his attack effortlessly and effectively, and then gave one of his own. During the next ten minutes, the two gundams battled on, forgetting the urgentness of the mission at hand, and concentrating solely on the battle.  
  
Duo matched Wufei blow for blow. The two pilots were of an equal skill, and the battle looked as if it were going to go on forever  
  
Heero, however had other plans. "Wufei, are you satisfied?"  
  
Wufei grunted in reply and dodged another attack from Deathscythe.  
  
Duo grinned to himself once again. Deciding he had proved his point, Duo backed off, and waited to see what Wufei would do.  
  
The pilot of the gundam Nataku listened to Heero's logic battle with his will to get back at 'Maxwell'. Heero's logic eventually won out, and Wufei lowered his beam stick. [An-i don't know what it's called...sabre thingie? If Wufei was reading this, I wouldn't last very long, would I?]  
  
"Fine then. Let's go." Wufei headed back for the space shuttle, but Duo decided to stay outside with Heero.  
  
When the 5 pilots reached their destination, a resource satellite being used to build mobile dolls, they stopped to unload the gundams.  
  
"Ok, we'll go with the original plan." Heero said, his voice its usual tone.  
  
The other four agreed over the communications system. (Duo had eavesdropped on the plans, and he was originally supposed to get inside with Heero while the other three created a distraction and destroyed as many mobile dolls as was possible.)  
  
"Let's get this over with." Wufei growled.  
  
"Are you sure you're alright Duo? What if your eyes start bothering you while you're inside?" Quatre asked for the fifth time.  
  
Duo sighed and rolled his unseeing eyes. "I'll be fine Q-man." He replied. "Don't worry 'bout me. I'm the God of Death. Nothing can hurt me." He chose to ignore the sneer that came from Wufei as he followed off to the side to wait for the distraction to start.  
  
5 minutes later, explosions filled the air, and Heero flicked a few switches on his control panel. "Alright Duo, there's an abandoned entrance to the satellite. Follow me."  
  
"Copy that." Duo replied, and followed Wing Zero through the emptiness of space towards the targeted satellite.  
  
Quatre watched Heero and Duo make their way towards the satellite from the corner of his eye. His empathic abilities were sensing something from the braided pilot. "He has to be able to see…because Duo Maxwell doesn't lie…right??"  
  
*~*  
  
Inside the satellite, the control room was in chaos. The attack had been unexpected, and they hadn't been prepared. They had definitely not taken into consideration that the rebels would send in all five gundams.  
  
"Send out the backup mobile dolls, gundams 01 and 02 have headed into the battle." A command was barked by one of the officers in charge. His face was twisted into an expression of anger. He pounded his fist on the control panel in frustration, causing the soldiers around him to jump in surprise. "Well, what did I just say? Send them out!"  
  
"Yes sir." A soldier replied hastily, his fingers flying over the keys in mad panic.  
  
Everyone in the satellite knew the end was near. Anyone who saw a gundam didn't live to tell the tale.  
  
*~*  
  
Duo urged Deathscythe forward, and he overtook Wing Zero. He searched the surface of the satellite with his sense, and found the entrance with little difficulty. 2 diagonal cuts with his scythe removed the "obstacle" (or "door" as normal people call it), and when the smoke cleared, the 2 pilots entered the satellite.  
  
Once inside, they exited their gundams and left the hangar found inside the entrance. They sealed off the doorway, and removed their helmets. Each pilot held a gun, and when Heero nodded his head slightly, Duo picked up the movement and they headed down the hall.  
  
"We need to reach the centre of the satellite." Heero explained to his partner. Apparently he hadn't yet noticed the blank look in Duo's eyes.  
  
Duo nodded. "Gotcha. How do we get there?"  
  
They continued walking as Heero thought about this for a moment. "If we find a small control room, we can hack into their files." The stoic boy explained.  
  
"I think we've got company coming." Duo said suddenly. "From the right. Quick, in here…" The braided pilot pushed Heero into a doorway and followed him, shutting the door once they were inside.  
  
"Duo…"  
  
"Shh!"  
  
"But, how do you know?"  
  
"You're just gonna have to trust me. But I don't see why you wouldn't. Shinigami doesn't lie."  
  
"Hn."  
  
"Shh…they're almost gone."  
  
Heero listened, but try as he might, he couldn't hear anything.  
  
"I can hear them down the hall. They're making a lot of noise. Ok, it's all clear." Duo pushed the door open, and the two stumbled out of the abandoned lab and continued down the hallway.  
  
"Loads more coming from up ahead. Hope you've got lots of ammo." Duo said as he raised his gun and positioned himself behind a wall that would protect him somewhat. Heero chose a sanctuary on the other side of the hallway.  
  
"I don't hear anything Duo."  
  
"Trust me, they're coming."  
  
Sure enough, not 30 seconds later, a group of soldiers could be heard approaching them.  
  
"Oh man, there's some coming from behind us too. We've got to move Heero. I think there's a computer in one of the rooms ahead and to the left. We've got to act fast." Duo checked his gun, then poked his head out from his hiding place and took a few well aimed shots.  
  
4 bullets flew through the air, 3 Oz soldiers fell to the ground.  
  
Heero copied his partner's actions, shooting two more soldiers, and then the two took off down the hallway. Duo was in the lead.  
  
A few shots rang out through the air behind them, but they didn't make contact. Duo rounded another corner, braid flying behind him. He skidded to a halt by one door, clicked it open, and the two entered.  
  
The door opened to reveal four soldiers manning the computers. Heero was astonished. How had Duo known that this room would have computers in it? There was no sign. And how had he known when and where the Oz soldiers were?  
  
The four guards on the computers didn't realize what was going on until it was too late.  
  
The 2 gundam pilots sat at the computers, and Heero began typing right away. Duo's hands, however, rested on the keys. He could feel the marks of the letters, but was oblivious to the numbers flashing across the screen. He couldn't pick them up as there was no movement. The numbers were 2D. Grumbling to himself, he stood.  
  
"We don't have much time Duo." Heero reminded his partner.  
  
Duo's hands formed fists, his knuckles turning white. "I'll explain later, but I can't do computers." He said.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Can't type any more now, so I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner than this one. I hope to have this finished really soon. One or two more chapters, I've decided to elaborate and describe things a bit more. Ok, so please leave a review!!  
  
Aria 


	6. Chapter 6

Hey everyone!  
  
I'm really sorry for the long wait for this chapter. I've been procrastinating.  
  
Ok, it's not going to be too long because of this excellent cliff hanger that I came up with…heh…*grins evilly*  
  
Thank you so much to those of you that reviewed!! 5 chapters and 58 reviews…that's a first for me!  
  
Disclaimer-I don't own it so don't sue.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Duo's hands formed fists, his knuckles turning white. "I'll explain later." He said quietly, "But I can't do computers."  
  
Heero raised one eyebrow, but his gaze remained locked on the computer screen. "Hn. Stand guard then."  
  
Duo stood and paced back and forth across the room, wanting to help his friend but knowing he couldn't. "Just don't lie to him Maxwell. Then everything'll be ok." HE thought to himself grimly.  
  
"Found it. We need to move south." Heero flicked a few more switches, and a copy of the map shot out the printer. He handed it to Duo headed for the door. "We need to get to the big red spot."  
  
"How helpful." Duo said sarcastically, stuffing the piece of paper into his pocket. He couldn't see the writing on the paper, much less the colour of a "big red dot". Frowning, Duo headed after Heero, and the two continued the mission.  
  
"Which way now?" Duo called out as his finger pulled the trigger a few more times.  
  
"Left at the second hallway." Heero called back.  
  
Duo nodded. "Let's blow this popsicle stand." He seethed, heading out into the dangerous hallway once more. He could sense more soldiers coming their way, and he had a feeling their "surprise advantage" had just about worn out.  
  
Sensing Heero behind him, Duo picked up speed. This was taking too long.  
  
5 minutes later, they entered the main engine room.  
  
With a manical grin, Duo surveyed the room with his mind. "In the shadows." He hissed at Heero, and the two hid themselves quite efficiently, avoiding the soldiers that were rushing around, trying to get things done.  
  
The red lights were flashing, warning sounds blaring in the engine room.  
  
Duo could sense the main engines. He picked up on the fact that they were working overtime, so to speak. The resource satellite was set to full speed.  
  
"How are we supposed to blow this place up?" Duo wondered out loud. There were soldiers everywhere. "I mean, sure the 'throw the wrench in the gears' trick works on cartoons, but I don't think anyone here's gonna just hand us a wrench, bow, and ask us to please throw it in."  
  
Heero grunted and nodded towards the main computer.  
  
Duo picked up on the motion, and followed the nod to the computers. There were at least ten Oz soldiers in that one area, and it was visible from everywhere in the room. Impossible for anyone to corrupt in any way. Duo even doubted if his partner could pull that off. "I think we need a plan."  
  
"No kidding."  
  
"I Still don't get how those computers are going to help us destroy this room." Then Duo remembered something. "Hey Heero, Oz uniforms come with grenades, right?"  
  
Heero raised an eyebrow at the suggestion, then nodded his head slowly. "We might have trouble getting our hands on one without being noticed."  
  
Duo's jaw dropped. "Heero, I'm offended! You are speaking to L2's most recognized thief and pickpocket extraordinaire. Let me show you how it's done…Don't move, I'll be right back."  
  
Heero was just starting to worry ten minutes later, when Duo returned with not one, but three grenades, and two gas grenades, along with masks.  
  
"These should help." He said, grinning.  
  
Heero looked at Duo sceptically, wondering how he'd managed to get his hands on all that…stuff…  
  
It was then that Heero noticed Duo's blank stare. "How many fingers Duo?" Heero asked, holding up three.  
  
Duo replied correctly, but Heero wasn't about to be fooled that easily. Moving his hand back and forth, he dropped one finger and asked again.  
  
"Two." Duo replied. "I'm fine Heero."  
  
But pilot 01 shook his head. Duo's eyes should have followed his moving hand had he been able to see properly. They had stayed in that same blank stare, not moving a millimetre.  
  
"Tell me what's going on Duo, remembering that Shinigami doesn't lie."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
OOooo…and the suspense builds…what will Duo reply?  
  
Sorry it's so short!!!  
  
~Duo's Only Chick 


	7. Chapter 7

Oi.I'm getting really behind in everything, aren't I? Well, I'm all moved, and back in all my glory.if I ever had any glory. So I'll get on with this. I don't know how long it'll be, or how many chapters are left, but at least I'm posting something, right?  
  
Disclaimer-I don't own it so don't sue. I'm sure there's a more creative way to do this whole disclaimer thing. I'll have to think about that for a while.Hmm.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chapter 7  
  
"Tell me what's going on Duo, remembering that Shinigami doesn't lie."  
  
Duo shook his head. "I've already tried to tell you Heero, and you wouldn't listen. I can't see, but I have another.sense." He sighed. "Anyway, we don't have time to get into the details of my problem now, if I've been doing just fine this whole mission. Not to mention that I got myself into outer space and found you guys without being able to look at a computer screen."  
  
Heero raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Can we get on with this now?"  
  
He slowly nodded. "We don't seem to have much choice."  
  
Duo grinned, and pulled a gas mask over his face as Heero did the same. He then chucked a grenade into one of the main engines, and Heero threw the gas grenades, efficiently clearing the way.  
  
With the main control panel now free for their personal use, Heero made his way there quickly while Duo once again stood guard at one of the doors.  
  
"You'd better hurry, Heero." He called out. "We've only got a couple minutes until reinforcements get here."  
  
The stoic pilot nodded, and quickened his movements over the keyboard, breaking through passwords, security systems, and firewalls as if he were a child with a toy. Finally, he found what he was looking for. A few files on the new model suit models that were being built. Saving them to a disk, he then pulled out his gun and placed a few bullets into the computer system. "Done." He called to Duo, who he noted was standing by the door, looking in his general direction.  
  
The braided pilot nodded, and, pulling out the two other grenades, he launched them into the engines.  
  
The two boys left the room at a run, explosions behind them as they headed back for their gundams.  
  
A little over seven minutes later, they had exited the resource satellite, and Duo had headed Deathscythe towards the other 3 pilots to see where he could help in the raging battle.  
  
However, Heero called him back. "Duo, I need you to watch my back, get the others out of there."  
  
Duo nodded, and contacted Trowa, Quatre, and Wufei. As soon as they were out of harm's way, Heero aimed his buster rifle, and with three well aimed shots, the satellite was no more.  
  
"Where are we going now?" Duo asked, having no clue since he had not been included in the planning of the mission.  
  
Heero grunted something about hiding in a colony until they received another mission, and then took off into the darkness.  
  
Duo followed Wing Zero, his thoughts on how he was supposed to explain his situation to the other pilots so that they would believe him. It would not be an easy task, when he didn't really understand it himself.  
  
*~*  
  
The next day, the gundams were hidden in an unused entrance to one of the colonies. The pilots were staying in a forgotten warehouse, where no one would guess to look for them. Duo had tried again to explain his disability to the pilots, but he hadn't managed to get his point across.  
  
"It's like I can see everything in 3D, in black and white, without using my eyes." Didn't seem plausible to the other four, and so, he was lying down, 'recuperating'.  
  
But, they didn't have any food.  
  
And although Heero could go for days without it, they had been instructed to stay on the colony for at least a month, or until they got another mission. Whichever came first.  
  
So, Quatre and Trowa had gone for a very long walk into the nearest town, where they planned to get some food (Duo had of course put in his order for pizza), while the others were left to fend for themselves.  
  
Heero had found a map of the colony on his laptop, and so had figured that it would take the two pilots 2 days at the most to make the trip, so that they wouldn't be exhausted for their next mission.  
  
So that meant that Duo, Wufei and Heero had no food for two days.  
  
Or did they?  
  
*~*  
  
Duo sighed. "Why won't you believe me? And apples would be better than nothing! I'm hungry, and if you won't come with me, I'm going by myself."  
  
Heero shook his head. "There are no apple trees on the colonies Duo, they didn't plant any, and you can't go by yourself because your condition is unstable."  
  
Wufei grunted something about stupid bakas and headed into another area of the warehouse to get some training in.  
  
"But Heero.It would at least give me something to do! I'm bored AND I'm hungry."  
  
Heero shook his head again. "No."  
  
"Fine. Then don't come with me, I'll go by myself." And so, he got to his feet, and headed for the exit.  
  
Heero didn't have much choice but to follow him.  
  
*~*  
  
They soon came upon a clump of trees that seemed different than the others, and Heero saw that they did indeed bear redish green fruits. Duo somehow managed to climb to the top of one of them, almost hidden beneath the thick foliage. "Hey Heero, what's worse than finding a worm in your apple?" He called down.  
  
All he got was a grunt for a reply, but Heero did have an apple in hand, and he was wiping it on his shirt.  
  
"Finding half a worm!" Duo laughed, then proceeded to explain the joke. "Cause you know, that would imply that you'd taken a bite out of the worm, and that you'd swallowed it." He then gave a cry of surprise, and a bitten into apple fell from the tree, landing beside Heero.  
  
"Heero, I can't see anything." Duo called down, his voice worried.  
  
"I figured that."  
  
"But Heero. I mean it.I can't see.and I can't move.It's too far."  
  
Heero started to get remotely worried. "You're barely three feet off the ground Duo, just jump."  
  
"But its all black.I can't see Heero, help me, please." His voice trailed off towards the end of his sentence, surprising his stoic friend.  
  
He sounded.afraid almost.  
  
So, Heero climbed up the tree after Duo, to find him clinging perilously to the trunk, staring blankly ahead, groping around helplessly.  
  
"Duo."  
  
No response.  
  
"Duo." Heero waved his hand in front of his friend's eyes.  
  
"Heero.where are you? I can't hear you anymore.Heero? Heero!"  
  
Heero grabbed Duo's arm to keep him from falling off of his branch. "I'm here, you baka. Calm yourself. I'll help you down."  
  
Duo, not hearing a sound of the 'comforting' words Heero was offering, responded only to his touch, and it took them quite a while to descend from the treetop.a mere 5 feet off the ground. Had Duo been able to see, he would have only had to jump. Without his senses, he was totally helpless.but of course, Shinigami would never admit to something like that.  
  
*~*  
  
By the time Heero got Duo back to the warehouse, he could hear again, but he still couldn't see anything, nor could he sense. His sixth sense had left him, but was it gone for good?  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
I hope you like it, and reviews are allowed.hinthinthint. Or I might just have to send someone after you. *glances around* yes..  
  
Poll time!  
  
romance? What pairings? Bear in mind that there aren't that many chapters left.I don't think.  
  
Should Duo regain his sight, the sixth sense, or just remain unable to see or whatever?  
  
Do you understand this whole sixth sense thing, or do I need to explain it a bit more?  
  
Answer in a review! Please!  
  
~ Duo's Only Chick 


	8. Chapter 8

Ok, I've come to a few decisions about this fic.hopefully I won't lose any readers because of them. First off, I've decided to keep it romance free.it just works better that way, and it keeps it simple.well, as simple as this fic can get when Duo's senses are riding a roller coaster. He's going to get his sight back, but a few other.changes are going to happen first. And I do realize that talking is not technically a sense.but hey. I'm the author, and what I say goes. Heaven knows that Duo uses his voice enough.possibly to cover up who he really is. Disclaimer: I don't own it, so don't sue. *~* Chapter 8 *~* Duo's eyes blinked open slowly, and he lay still for a moment in the drowsiness of morning. He soon sat up, and stretched his arms, rubbing his eyes with his fists. He yawned, and glanced around to find himself in some kind of office.  
  
Wait a minute. . . I can see?! His eyes widened and he looked around more frantically, blinking repeatedly. He heard someone shift behind him, and he jumped to his feet whirling around, hand reaching for his gun.  
  
Heero quirked an eyebrow from where he was sitting on a makeshift bed of some blankets.  
  
Duo dropped his gun when he realized that it was just his friend, and let his defensive stance drop. Hey Heero. . . His hand threw to his throat as he realized no sound had come forth.  
  
"Duo?" Heero asked as he too got to his feet, worried slightly as to why his fellow pilot was looking so frantic.  
  
~~ I can't talk ~~ Duo mouthed back.  
  
Why was this happening to him? Sure, yesterday things had been crazy, but it had seemed to centre on his senses. . . Talking wasn't a sense.  
  
He gave a heavy sigh, vowing never to stop talking if he got his voice back. He missed it already, and he'd only tried to say five words, at the most.  
  
*~*  
  
Heero sighed as he watched Duo pace back and forth across the room, obviously stressed. He'd quickly found out that along with his voice, the feeling in his fingers had vanished. . . In fact, the feeling in his skin had vanished. He'd stubbed his toe countless times, having lost his sense of distances, but the braided pilot never noticed it once.  
  
Grabbing the pen and paper that he had found an hour earlier, Duo scribbled a note for Heero.  
  
??Have you heard anything from the scientists? Have they finished analyzing my blood sample? ~  
  
Heero shook his head. "We should have news today." He replied.  
  
Duo scowled. This was starting to bother him. He had begun to like 'sensing' his surroundings, even if he couldn't see any colours. Now that the talent had been taken away from him, he felt as if part of his abilities were missing. He had felt so powerful with the sixth sense behind him.  
  
Wufei then stepped into the room, interrupting Duo's thoughts. "What's going on?" He asked, leaning on the wall beside Heero, who was standing. He folded his arms across his chest as he waited for a response.  
  
Heero too, waited for a response, expecting Duo to reply as he usually did. It took him a moment to realize that Duo would not be able to respond in his usual manner. . . He didn't have a voice to respond with. "Duo's condition has not changed. We are waiting for word from the scientists."  
  
Wufei nodded. "Will he be coming with us on our next mission?"  
  
"It's undecided, at the moment." Heero stated, just as Duo stubbed his toe once more.  
  
The braided boy winced as he heard his foot connect with the ground, knowing in his heart that if things didn't change, he wouldn't be going anywhere. Without his sense of touch, he had lost all sense of where things were in relationship with his position. Piloting a gundam would not be a good idea in his current state.  
  
Taking back his paper from Heero, Duo scribbled down another note. handing it back, he headed into the hall, using his eyes instead of his sense of touch to decipher distances.  
  
Heero glanced at the page, and then followed Duo down the hall.  
  
~ Quatre and Trowa are back. ~  
  
"How do you know?" the stoic pilot asked his friend as he caught up with him. Wufei followed close behind, having read the note over Heero's shoulder.  
  
Duo took back the page when they reached the bottom of the stairs, having managed to avoid further injury. ~ Can't you hear them??~ he wrote before he continued toward the front door. He swung it open and grinned at his friends, waving.  
  
Heero raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Without his loud mouth to get in the way, he has good hearing." Wufei noted.  
  
Pilot 01 thought this over as he watched Duo communicating with Trowa and Quatre through his sheet of paper that was starting to get crowded with his messy handwriting.  
  
Deciding that he would be asking for another sheet soon enough, the stoic teen headed back up the stairs to the small cluster of offices that they had been using to sleep in, since it was less cold in the confined areas. He reached the room, and found a second piece of lined paper. He was just about to head back down the stairs when a meaningful beep sounded from his laptop, which was plugged into the wall.  
  
Heero suppressed a sigh as he headed back into the room and flicked it open. Dr. J's metal, claw-like hand flickered across the screen before the man's face appeared. "Heero." He greeted his 'student'.  
  
"Hn."  
  
"We've analyzed the blood sample. There's nothing strange about it. Pilot 02 should be ready for battle, based on your decision of his state of health. We did find that he has a low white blood cell count. If he gets sick, he'll take a while to heal."  
  
Heero nodded. "Understood."  
  
The scientist nodded. "All right. You have another mission out in space before you head back to Earth, but all of the details aren't worked out yet. I need floor plans for the Oz base on the moon. Get them for me."  
  
"Mission accepted."  
  
The screen went blank. Heero thought the new information over for a minute before starting to hack into the Oz files. If Duo's blood was clear, then what was happening to him?  
  
*~*  
  
Downstairs, Duo grinned as he helped Quatre and Trowa stow the items they had bought in the gundams. He munched away happily on an apple . . . one of the only fresh food item he would have for days. Most of his diet consisted of dried or canned goods, all of them high in protein or fibers, or other stuff that was good for you.  
  
"Duo, how are you feeling?" Quatre asked worriedly once they had finished. "Wufei told me you can't feel anything. You'll have to watch that you don't cut yourself."  
  
Duo rolled his eyes. ~~ don't worry, Q ~~ he wrote. ~~ I'll be fine! ~~ the message was accompanied with a wide grin.  
  
Quatre sighed, looking worried. "Just be careful, Duo. If you need help with anything, just ask, ok?"  
  
The braided pilot grinned, and nodded.  
  
The blond smiled back.  
  
Suddenly, Duo's happy expression faded, and he appeared to be concentrating on something.  
  
"What is it, Duo?" the Arabian asked.  
  
Trowa looked at his American friend curiously. It wasn't often that Duo turned so serious, unless there was danger nearby.  
  
Duo wrote down another message. ~~ There's a vehicle coming. . . I can hear it. ~~ He wrote.  
  
"I don't hear anything." Quatre replied. "Are you sure?"  
  
Duo nodded, and went to one of the boarded windows of the run-down warehouse. He pointed through one of the cracks as Quatre came to look as well.  
  
Sure enough, in the distance on the road Quatre could see a military vehicle approaching them.  
  
"They've found us." The blond said, his eyes widening. "We have to get out of here."  
  
Duo nodded, and headed for Deathscythe while Trowa headed up to warn Heero and Wufei. The three soon appeared at the bottom of the stairs, and Heero took one glance out the window before nodding. "We're leaving." He stated. "Now."  
  
By that time, a whole line of military trucks had appeared on the road, all of them barreling towards the warehouse. Mobile Dolls accompanied them, their footsteps thundering on the ground as they approached the pilots' hideout.  
  
Within moments, the gundams had been fired up, and Duo was still trying to convince Heero that he could pilot Deathscythe.  
  
~ I'll stick close ~ he wrote across the gundam message system. ~ We're not going far, and even if we have to fight, it won't be in here. I'll be out of the colony before I have to kick Oz ass, so it doesn't matter anyway. ~  
  
Heero sighed as he read Duo's message for the second time. He exited the warehouse first, firing a few shots at the mobile suits, whose own bullets hardly bothered Wing Zero.  
  
Wufei scowled at their weakness as he followed Heero, who was now heading for the exit, barely even noticing the continuous fire from the mobile dolls. "Where are we headed, Yuy?" He demanded.  
  
"There's an abandoned resource satellite not far from here." Heero replied. "We'll head there."  
  
"It's going to be cold." Quatre's voice sounded over the static. "If it's abandoned, that means the power will be down."  
  
Heero nodded. "I know."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
~ Duo's Only Chick 


End file.
